My first Moving Coil OC9ML/II

[BRANDONH]

I will do a full follow up in another week after it has broken in more.
To see specs on the Cartridge click OC9ML/II embedded in the signature.
I have had it since Monday 30-Jul-07 and been using it every day and each day it opens up a bit more.
If it gets any better I will not know how to behave myself.
:3:

[jrhymeammo]

It's great seeing you around BH.

Congrats on your new experience. Arent LOMC carts great? I dont think I'll go back to HOMC cart anytime soon.
I've always wanted to play with that cartridge, but my arm's effecitve mass is only 8.5-9g....

I'm looking forward to your review.

Peace

[BRANDONH]

It's great seeing you around BH.

Congrats on your new experience. Arent LOMC carts great? I dont think I'll go back to HOMC cart anytime soon.
I've always wanted to play with that cartridge, but my arm's effecitve mass is only 8.5-9g....

I'm looking forward to your review.

Peace

Guess I don't know about the effective mass or how it applies.

Mine is this:

Effective Mass
12g (without cartridge)

Applicable Cartridge Weight Range
3.5g - 13g
11g - 20.5g (including headshell)

Applicable Cartridge Weight Range (with shell weight)
3.5g - 6.5g
11g - 14g (including head shell)

I will post something today if I can for I think its broken in.
Its very exciting.

[Glen B]

The AT OC-9 has been my cartridge of choice for more than 10 years. I've been thinking of trying the MKII.

[BRANDONH]

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f44/theboykid/at_oc9ml_ii-1.jpg
I think its broke in now!

Received the cartridge Wednesday 01-Aug and have been playing records from the minute I get home till I go to bed since Monday 30-Jul-07 about 4 hours a night and took the day off to go to the zoo and played it for 4 hours in the morning and when I got home another 4 hours so that's about 20 hours so far.

I had to unlearn what I have learned about vinyl playback.

Its hard for me to use the correct adjectives since compared to the pros I am a novice.
And they like to go into detail on which recordings sounded what way.
I have been playing everything from Country, Pop, Classical, Metal, to just plain classic rock
I am saving the Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio, misty 45 rpm Jazz and the Allison Krauss & Union Station Live for tonight)

The package: it looked like something that a nice watch would be packaged in.
It had a ticker type tape (like an EKG) from the QC test results of the cart..not that I knew what the hell I was looking at but still cool.

Installation: I was sure glad the Technics has a removable head shell since the screws go in upside-down not a lot of fun there but doable.

First listen: Thought to my self, I think I hate it already, but reminded myself that my friend Robert Pincus of Cisco Music (who recommended it) said to be patient with it and give it time to break-in.
Every day after it became more and more revealing.
Last night it totally came to life right before my ears.
I mean whoa, wow, flabbergasting.

I begin to pull more and more records out to see how they sounded then I realized THIS IS HOW A RECORD IS SUPPOSED TO SOUND!
There was a whole new world in those grooves I never knew existed before.

Fast detailed and as close to live as I have ever heard my Speakers produce.
Fact I never thought they were capable of such a detailed reproduction.

I had expected that since the output was only .4 mV that it would require me to turn up the volume to hear it, not true! Fact of the matter far from it.
The details are excellent at a very low volume and at moderate to high I found no distortion at all, and still amazed at the detail and resolution at low listening levels.

Of course I am sure the NAD C-162 has a huge roll in it because the MC phono stage is really good...really.

The Bass, Mid & Highs are all very strong with the OC9 which makes me wonder why it is not talked (boasted) about in the audiophile world.
If my friend had not recommended it I would not have know about it.

Lets talk about the highs, Some of my brighter records that always sound shrill or thin with the previous setup now sound natural.
The treble coming from the compression horns were suddenly correct, sounding clear, precise with none of the harshness I had always experienced before with those recordings...another WOW

The mids are definitely the the strong suit! The vocals for the first time I could hear the depth of the singers throat never before was this present.
The strings sound great just great.

On to the Bass very tight and defined and I have strong bass in my system.

I am almost done.

With the previous setup I had good sound and good stereo separation but that's where this New setup triumphs.
I had always thought good channel separation was the key. no, no, no, no, not true (I have learned).
As before the system sounded like music was doing just that coming from each speaker,
Now I hear the music in front center stage the speakers blended, yes when the recording master intends to make them separate it is, but when the music is intended to melt away the speakers, they do...their gone.
Surface noise is also very low with this cart so on really quite pressings the TT disappears too.
Its magical.

Thanks go out to Robert Pincus of Cisco Music for recommending this cartridge I can hear why he likes it.

I am so glad I bought a preamp that has MC Phono Stage and now that I have a moving Coil, I wonder why I waited so long.
Well... firstly I did not have a MC phono stage, the MC are usually real expensive, there are so many to choose from, and that the needle is not user removable.
Those were my previous fears, I will never look back.

Honestly I had thought after hooking up the NAD C-162 that the Audio-Technica OC9ML/II would be hard pressed to surpass my KAB Pro S40 for it really came to life with the NAD's MM phono stage.
But the OC9 blew it away with a 12 gauge shotgun.

[jrhymeammo]

Very nice review, BH. 0.4mV w/ 60dB gain is same as 4.0mV cart with 40 dB gain so it makes perfect sense. Just gotta sacrifice for slightly more noise for the magical sound. But I dont think it's a problem unless you are crankin up your Fleetwood Mac on MoFi.

http://www.audiotic.com/T&TSetup/T&TSetupFS.htm

Just type in:

9 for Compliance
8 for cart weight
12 for TA EM
7.5ish for HS and Screw Mass.

If your headshell/screw weighs 7.5 then you'll get Resonace frequency of 10.12Hz and 10.03Hz for 8.0 grams. Either way iyou are not going to get a better match than what you have going.
8-12 is acceptable and 9-11 is desirable. I think it's pretty safe to say you gotta great match.:)

Happy listenin'

[Bernd]

......of a decent MC. Congrats B.and great review.
I could not go back to a MM. In fact I only ever had one, and that was way back when. Ever since I heard a Stilton modified AT OC5 I have been hooked.
I think you will need some more hours on your cartridge. I found that most MCs only come on song between 100 and 200 hours.
Have fun and wishing you many great musical revolutions.

Peace

:23:

[BRANDONH]

Very nice review, BH. 0.4mV w/ 60dB gain is same as 4.0mV cart with 40 dB gain so it makes perfect sense. Just gotta sacrifice for slightly more noise for the magical sound. But I dont think it's a problem unless you are crankin up your Fleetwood Mac on MoFi.

http://www.audiotic.com/T&TSetup/T&TSetupFS.htm

Just type in:

9 for Compliance
8 for cart weight
12 for TA EM
7.5ish for HS and Screw Mass.

If your headshell/screw weighs 7.5 then you'll get Resonace frequency of 10.12Hz and 10.03Hz for 8.0 grams. Either way iyou are not going to get a better match than what you have going.
8-12 is acceptable and 9-11 is desirable. I think it's pretty safe to say you gotta great match.:)

Happy listenin'

Thanks for the ling to the cool Calculator.

Now it makes a little more since, I really never understood the whole mass thing but this helped.

Yeah Friday night I cranked up the power and there is when I can hear the noise from the MC Phono Stage.
The slight hum is not a bother at regular volume levels and I was able to control it better by dialing back the amplifier gain a bit.
So most of my listening should not be bothered by the hum.
But for the kick it up (Massive Power) Friday night may swap out the cart to the KAB Pro S40 MM for that.
And with this set up its a brease to do.
Take care.
brandon

[BRANDONH]

......of a decent MC. Congrats B.and great review.
I could not go back to a MM. In fact I only ever had one, and that was way back when. Ever since I heard a Stilton modified AT OC5 I have been hooked.
I think you will need some more hours on your cartridge. I found that most MCs only come on song between 100 and 200 hours.
Have fun and wishing you many great musical revolutions.

Peace

:23:

Thank you,
Put 12 hours on it over the weekend.
Yep I have been hearing it getting more relaxed not that there is a loss in detail but is becoming focused since the post.
Have a great day.
Brandon

[jrhymeammo]

That's great hear.
I'm not really sure how much of that stuff matters, but unless you are outside of 8-12, I wouldnt even worry about it. But then again, DL-110 wasnt even supposed to be a proper match with my turntable, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. Who knows, maube I never got to hear the full potiential of DL-110 in my setup...

For the hum, play would with your TT cables placements and other wires, especially power cable/tranformers...
It could be possible to reduce your hum significantly. Either way, enjoy your new discovery.

Best Regards,

[Robb]

This is an interesting thread, Brandon. I have been under the impression that we direct drive users must avoid moving coil carts altogether as motor noise supposedly becomes an issue. Anyone have any thoughts on that?

Sounds like you are having a great time with that new setup, B, and that is what this hobby should be all about, right? Enjoy!

[BRANDONH]

This is an interesting thread, Brandon. I have been under the impression that we direct drive users must avoid moving coil carts altogether as motor noise supposedly becomes an issue. Anyone have any thoughts on that?

Sounds like you are having a great time with that new setup, B, and that is what this hobby should be all about, right? Enjoy!

Hello there Rob,
yeah throughly enjoying the new setup and this MC cart so far in the 50+ hours become very life like. If there is more to this cart after 200 hours of play time I will gladly report.
As for motor noise I have not heard anything come from the table other than beautiful music.
Black hole background where the music pours freely and effortlessly.
I had read somewhere a theory that the MC coil may possibly encounter a some kind of negative effect as it passes over the motor magnets.
Since I have only one Low Output MC I will not say that won't happen with other MC's maybe one with a higher output or something IDK but with this cartridge it busts that theory.
One of the strengths (of many IMO) the Technics SL-1210M5G is famous for is ultra quiet operation.

The MC Phono Stage is the noisiest in the whole system not that its a bother with most of my listening levels all the while MM portion is dead silent.
I can live with a little MC Phono Stage noise for the beautiful sound I do get at low to high volume listening levels...Now at extreme volumes 3000-4000 watts (my total combined power output 6800 watts) it is a bother so for those times I'll switch back to the MM.